Obsidian
by reonhatoo
Summary: Eyes the color of obsidian, matching the cage he had locked himself away in. Then, he met her. Hair the color of midnight, bringing that lonely hue into his life. As memories resurface, they find that they have to keep moving to stay alive. IS and LGS with mentions of PS, CS, and QS.
1. Prologue

He walked out the door without saying a word, silently brooding as he walked the concrete pavement. Normal 17 year olds didn't wake up at 5 AM just to leave for school at 6 AM. Then again, Paul Rebolledo was no normal boy.

He led a double life, forced into it at the mere age of 12. While other boys got drunk at parties and flirted with the opposite sex, Paul silently observed the world at day.

At night? Why, he simply leaped across buildings covered in black from head to toe, stalking the night as a shadow in the mist. He had the revolver tucked away neatly in one belt loop, others being filled up with various pieces of equipment such as small wire cutters. Every piece of equipment a spy and assassin would need. Of course, he was excellent at his job, silently preying and waiting for his moment to strike.

They say you don't even know you're dead when he kills.

Of course, he went back to being a teenage boy when the sun came up.

He always looked out for the ones with horror on their face at school. The ones who had people surrounding them, asking them what was wrong. Eyes that were so jubilant, now shattered beyond repair. After all, their loved one was killed.

However, Paul simply smiled. No, not an evil or proud smile. A tired smile that matched his disposition. One more person, broken to the core, just like him. Eventually, he started falling. When? Even he is not sure. But now, he is a silent boy, only talking small words when necessary. Completely locking away his emotions, he became the stone cold, stoic boy, who just played music to bring a little bit of color. Alas, it never worked.

Of course, was he alone? Ha! Why would he be? The mauve-haired teenager had two others from his school, occupying the same job as him, working with him. The playboy, Gary Oak, and the valedictorian, Leaf Green. The two of them were inseparable, best friends since they were little. Unlike Paul however, their eyes radiated with color.

Color that was now unknown to the onyx-eyed boy.

At day, they ignored each other. At night, they became one unit, taking out their prey before leaving to attend their school.

Even then, they were weary. Tired of life. But Leaf and Gary kept on. They had each other to turn to. But Paul? No one. Not even his older brother. Reggie? Yeah, he's dead. Parents? Out of the question. They were the leaders. So the boy silently and slowly tortured himself, not able to let his emotions go. He had the key, but he didn't use it. Unlocking the cage was too much.

Interesting how he often drew with silver, yet red always came out.

There used to be a girl. He didn't remember her name, but she had porcelain skin with cobalt hair and matching eyes. That's all he remembered of her before she left, left for good.

He was just a boy, yet his eyes perceived like no other. His eyes perceived no color. Black and white.

This is the story of obsidian.

XXXX

He reached his school by 6:15 AM and just sat and waited. He had a specific spot where he waited, longing for the drone of the bell that sent him and his peers to their monotone classes. The bell that sent him through a blur of events. After all, he'd be an assassin for his whole life.

Curse his thoughts.

He looked up at the sky. Grey and gloomy, no blue peeking out of the large clouds that loomed over the school. Threats of rain and possibly hail coming down onto them, drenching or pelting students and teachers alike until they went home. He groaned. Wet roofs aren't easy to climb and run across.

He learned that the hard way.

Ironically enough, Paul also loved the rain. He could drown out any lingering emotions as the rain soaked him to the bone. It was dark, just like him.

He noticed a shadow come up in front of him, and glanced up to see a pair of grass green eyes staring back at him. Along with it came chestnut brown hair and a long green hoodie. "Hey."

He didn't say a word. His eyes said it for him. 'Why are you here, Green?'

She simply smiled in response, before saying, "I'm just here. Got kicked out of my own house by mom and dad pretty early. Just taking a stroll around school and spotted you." She took a puff of a cigarette she was holding and let out a gray cloud of smoke that blended in with the dreary surroundings. Paul noted that whenever she was pissed, not even upset, but pissed, Leaf Green used a cigarette. It wasn't a habit, just an occasional thing. Paul smirked in response. The perfect valedictorian? Not so much.

Leaf looked annoyed. "Oh, am I not supposed to smoke in front of the stoic boy?" Paul met her gaze again. 'I don't care.'

Leaf ranted on, like how she normally did before missions. "Turns out, getting 99% on the hardest math test of the year isn't good enough for precious mommy and daddy!" She laughed bitterly and looked straight into Paul's eyes, expecting some kind of reaction. But she met an endless abyss. She took another puff, and that's when Paul noticed the puffy, bloodshot eyes.

Did Leaf Green cry?

"It's fine though, don't expect _you_ to understand." Immediately she realized she had said the wrong thing as Paul glanced up with angry eyes before turning back into a stoic expression. Her eyes softened. "Oh Paul, I'm sorry….."

And he knew she was. Sighing, he reluctantly let it go, knowing that to stay angry with her would only cause more problems in the future. "It's fine."

Leaf gasped. "Whoa! Did you speak? I haven't heard you speak in a while!"

He looked irritated. "Leaf, you heard me yesterday."

She smiled cheekily. "I know. When we killed." Leaf sat down next to him and lay her head on his shoulder. It wasn't love, no, it was just a friendship so to speak. Just a small friendship that came from working together. Nothing more, nothing less. They were also emotional trashcans, so to speak.

She then checked her watch. "Oh, it's already 7 AM. Gotta meet my friends as the perfect valedictorian. Can't be smoking in the halls. It would ruin our oh-so-perfect reputation!" She exclaimed sarcastically before getting up and walking away. She dropped the smoldering cigarette butt into the trash can and dusted her hands from the ash.

Paul ripped her state away from the girl. Leaf Green was not like that before she went into the business. She was a bright girl who tried her hardest and was accepted. She was….colorful. Then all her color was ripped out of her.

Well, except for the vibrant hue of emerald green. But he saw her cracked eyes, her tight smile. The way she walked, slouching over like she was carrying the weight of the world. How her hair fell limp and scraggly, as opposed to her voluminous waves before.

Gary Oak was no better. Shining only in a faint cobalt blue, the player was weary everyday. Same condition.

However, they had yet to be truly broken, Paul thought. After all, they still had color left.

He grabbed his phone from his bag and checked the time. _7:23 AM._ Paul looked puzzled. Had that much time passed already? He shrugged it off and got up begrudgingly before walking to the now-packed building.

Yet, it felt just as empty as he truly was.


	2. Model, You Say?

**Here's chapter 1 of "Obsidian"! I'm honestly really surprised this ended up being 5000+ words...I guess I got into it. Don't worry, more Leaf and Gary to appear later, but I wanted to focus on Dawn's interactions with others. With whom? Well, you'll see...**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

He had sat quietly down into his desk at homeroom. Being the person he was, his desk was naturally placed in the back corner, farther away from the door. Anyone who knew Paul knew not to sit next to him. All thought he was an angry kind of boy, who would get irritated or ticked off at the slightest mistake. While they were not far from the truth, he was just misunderstood. Just misunderstood. Not even Leaf Green and Gary Oak really understood him, and they were a unit for at least 4 years.

Of course, in school they had to act completely different. Paul sat all alone in the corner, the desk next to him vacant. Leaf sat in the front row with her 'nerdy' friends, silently doing their homework that was obviously due in two weeks time. Gary sat with his little player friends right behind Leaf. It was a common known fact that Gary always teased the valedictorian for reasons unknown. Although, anyone could feel the sexual tension between. Two girls, May Maple and Marina Kris, who happened to be Leaf's friends, often shipped them together and waited for them to go into a closet and make out.

Before time caught up to them, Leaf Green and Gary Oak were seen as the "IT duo". No, not a couple. A duo. They were best friends long before they moved to the Sinnoh state, and when Leaf moved, Gary followed. They had known each other since they were in diapers, and were even neighbors then. Of course now, they lived right across from the street from each other.

However, once they entered middle school, something happened. It was as if Gary didn't want anything to do with Leaf, and suddenly ditched her for other people. Those included Drew Hayden and Jimmy Kenta, who were nice enough as is, just arrogant fools. Paul remembered that week so clearly, where the brunette walked around sullenly in the halls, keeping her head down to avoid others looking into her puffy eyes. Before today, that was the last time Paul had seen Leaf cry.

That was until one day, a spring morning, two girls walked up to the melancholy girl. One was a girl with mousy brown hair and a red bandana at her hair, coupled with sapphire eyes that made others melt. The other was a girl with electric blue hair into gravity-defying pigtails and teal eyes that shone like the most precious gemstones in existence. Paul remembered hearing their conversation from a distance.

" _Hi there!" the brunette said with a friendly wave. Leaf sniffled._

" _H-Hi."_

" _What's your name?" the bluenette asked sweetly. Leaf told them her name, expecting a weird reaction, freaked out by her name. To her surprise, their eyes widened and their smiles became bigger, more genuine._

" _What a cool name! My name's May, and this is Marina! My name is pretty boring, you and Marina have much better names!" the brunette known as 'May' exclaimed. Marina looked at her, exasperated. She looked back at Leaf before speaking. "Sorry about that, she gets a little too excited." She then proceeded to punch May's arm, who flinched back._

" _Ow Marina! What was that for?!" May screeched._

" _Because I can." Marina just smirked._

" _Oh yeah?! Well who asked you?!" May just got madder as she jabbed Marina's chest with her index finger. Marina swatted her index finger away as her cheeks quickly became flooded with a maraschino cherry color. They continued to swat at each other and playfully hit each other._

 _Between their interactions, Leaf actually did something she never thought she would do so soon. She laughed. She laughed at the duo's funny interactions, how despite all circumstances that went against them, they were still friends. Leaf wanted that, wanted that with someone._

 _And perhaps, maybe they were her saving grace._

Ever since that morning, Leaf, May and Marina were inseparable. They laughed together, cried together, beat people up together. Paul watched their interactions as the years went by, longing for a closeness that he once had with his brother. No one knew how Reggie Rebolledo had mysteriously disappeared, although some say he committed suicide. But all knew how Paul closed himself off from the world ever since it was public.

They just didn't know how his eyes hardened.

One thing kept him going. Ironically, the thing he most dreaded in his life. His job. Despite what he thinks, he likes the thrill he gets from running across as a shadow in the dusk. He loved the feeling of pulling the trigger or slashing the metal blade across human flesh. The color of blood filled his eyes, the only true color he knew. Oh and he knew it very well.

After he slashed, he used the same blade on his slightly tanned arms, not knowing where it would go next. Or just not caring.

Oh, and another thing. The memory of the girl with lapis eyes. He faintly remembered the girl and how she treated him. How she treated him like any normal human being, rather than running away from him as soon as she saw his face. She believed in him, made him feel strong.

Happiness? That too.

The bell rang, bringing Paul back into present memory as he quietly got out homework that he wanted to finish. He simply didn't have time anymore, so he tried to focus on all of his studies before the night came. Before he could even start however, his teacher clapped her hands to make an announcement.

His teacher was Ms. Shirona. Or 'teacher'. She was secretly an undercover spy working in the same area as Paul. Of course, she manipulated the principal to have Leaf, Gary, and Paul in most of the same classes together. Paul didn't care for Shirona. She was simply another colleague, another co worker beside them in this mission for survival.

"Class! Pay attention! We have a new student here today. So please welcome Dawn Berlitz!" The blonde haired teacher stepped aside and introduced the new student.

"Hi everyone! My name's Dawn, and I really hope to be friends with everyone here!" She waved. Paul's breath hitched and his chest tightened.

 _She looks like….her. The girl in my thoughts. But she left for good, right?_ His thoughts were muddled.

Pale porcelain skin with a milk colorant. Midnight blue hair that, despite under a white beanie, was glossy and shone softly under the fluorescent lighting. Lapis lazuli eyes that twinkled with life.

He could never forget those eyes. It was her.

"Alright Dawn, you can sit next to Paul, in the corner." Ms. Shirona told her. Dawn nodded and made her way to the desk. On the way, Gary's little group started staring up and down at her, and BOY did they like what they saw.

She wore a short, bubblegum pink skirt, along with a milky white, button-up blouse that was almost see-through. She wore white flats with a white bow at the end of each of them. Oak and Kenta started to whistle, while Hayden grinned. As soon as she heard the whistles, Dawn stopped and gave a menacing glare, warning them not to mess with her. Their smiles immediately dropped and they cowered away. She smirked, satisfied at her reaction, then started walking again and dropped into her chair. She looked next to her, noticing the purple-haired guy.

"Hi! What's your name?" Dawn asked. Paul didn't respond, and instead looked her dead in the eyes, hoping she would recognize him.

To his slight irritation, she simply took this as a rude response, placing her hands on her hips and scowling. "Hey! All I did was ask for your name!"

He looked away again. "Hn. It's Paul." Dawn's eyes softened slightly as this before she broke out into a wide grin.

"Paul huh? Wanna be friends?" No response. However, Dawn didn't let this deter her. "C'mon!" She didn't realize that they used to be friends. He simply rested his chin on his right hand and looked out the window, pondering many things. _How? How did I get stuck with her again? Why did she come back?_ He thought.

Dawn puffed her cheeks and started poking him in the arm. Paul grunted and tried to shift further away from her, only to be poked again with her index finger. He reluctantly turned around and looked her dead in the eyes.

Her passionate, cobalt blue eyes, steely yet soft.

"What do you want, Troublesome?" he asked. Dawn pouted and gave him a sharp glare, before responding. "I wanna be friends! Come on!"

He muttered under his breath, "We used to be friends. How could you forget?" Dawn heard him mumble something. "Huh?" Paul ignored her again and shifted through his backpack. He grabbed the work for his English project and opened it up quietly, reading through the instructions on the crinkled paper once again. He heard a quiet sigh before the rustling of unfolding of paper. He turned around to see what was causing the disrupting noise. It was that pesky troublesome girl, once his friend, looking at her schedule. _Of course. She's new,_ he thought. Paul thought he would take a quick peek at her schedule. To his utter surprise, he saw that the order of her classes was basically the same as his, along with the actual courses. Of course any person would be suspicious; why would anyone have the exact same schedule as someone else in a school, no less a teenage assassin? That didn't make sense, unless she was…..no. She couldn't be. Not her. She couldn't be a part of The Shadows. Not her.

It couldn't be. She was a perfect being. No way could she be sucked into the life of an assassin like this. She was no killer. She would be someone, someone important in the world, someone who made a difference. He would just be a nobody, left behind to eat the trailing dust of a more successful, better person. He wasn't even HUMAN. The monster inside of him was slowly raging to be let loose on these creatures that were called humans, bashing his chest and slowly turning him into an inflictor of pain. He didn't even notice, but his humanity was slowly dissipating into the world unknown, as the blood constantly seeped from wounds galore.

She felt his staring burning into her cheek, so she turned around and looked straight into his abyssal-like eyes. He shook his head, as if coming out of a trance, and went back to his work without saying a single word. "Well that was weird," Dawn muttered under her breath. She huffed and took out a notebook, admiring the cover quickly.

It was a small black notebook, smaller than average. She painted it with little white stars and a crescent moon, but not before sponge painting a galaxy with navy blue, fuschia, and dark lilac paint. In a light gray color with glitter wrote 'SONGBOOK', with a little Piplup next to it, floating in the galaxy. Dawn opened up the notebook and took out the pink glitter pen that was stashed away in the coils. She popped open the cap and placed it on the bottom of the pen before tapping it against her chin unconsciously and pursing her natural pink lips together. Her eyes were determined, as if the piece of blue-lined paper was her canvas and she was the painter. Only she could hold her paintbrush in one perfect way, creating strokes of genius with bristles that had hardened over time.

Only….it was music. Music, to Dawn, was an art that could only be improved by yourself. No shortcuts, no help, just plain old hard work. Her pen was the brush, her paper was the blank canvas, but the words were what brought everything to life.

She tapped her pen against the desk quietly, trying to find a beat to go on, then slowly stomped her foot as she found what she was looking for. She closed her eyes as she racked her brain for lyrics that could only describe what she was thinking. When it came to music, her thoughts were indistinguishable. But, she was truly happy when composing and writing. She was….free. Only she knew the magic password to get out and do what she loved best, and so she entered it when she was young and opened the doorway to possibilities.

She hummed an unfamiliar tune, unfamiliar to those around her. However, it was a tune she was dwelling on for days, months even, trying to think of proper lyrics that flowed from word to word, verse to verse, melody to melody. It matched the beating rhythm of her bleeding heart, as it thumped with her and let her sway away into a world of…..what she could only describe as home.

* * *

This time, she saw a world of glass, crystal clear, shining with a brilliance of pleasant sounds that rung in the ear before letting itself silently ring in the air, presence known. The skies were a light blue that reminded her of cotton candy, while clouds were wisps of white material streaked across the golden blue. She looked down, and there were soft blades of grass that looked like glass, supporting her feet and not scraping. She bounced with every step she took as her white cotton dress flowed in the wind, carrying itself with her midnight blue hair that reached her waist. She walked without looking, skipping away to where her instinct would bring her.

The world warped around her, and suddenly, she was in a castle made of sparkling glass that shimmered throughout the land. She looked around before looking out the window, where her breath fogged it up. But what she saw took her breath away. A meadow full of stained glass flowers lay deep in the depths of the green-colored glass, and next, was a riverbed with not a drop of tainted water. Black birds flew away into the distance as they chirped.

But it seemed good-too good. She immediately grew suspicious of the surroundings.

Her downfall.

Before her eyes, the land that was once filled with pleasing, pastel colors was now desolate and deserted, filled with an ugly brown and a dark grey mist gathering at the top of the meadow. The once lively glass flowers were now chipped and cracked, fragments falling to the ground like a shattered heart and mind. The sky was no longer a light blue, but rather a musty red, smeared with an inky black color. The castle turned into a black glass, no longer a home, but a prison. She looked at herself and saw her feet disappearing as it broke into a million fragments at once. Without thinking, she lunged at the window, pounding her fists into the glass to crack it. But nothing was working. She was panicking, hyperventilating as her body wasted away into thin air, trying to latch on to the last string of life she had as her heart started beating faster and faster. She eventually made a crack, but she was gone before she could use it, leaving the land to wither away slowly. The last thing she saw was the riverbed, untainted and untouched, as if it was invincible…..

* * *

A shake on the shoulder woke Dawn up from her slumber. She groaned and rubbed her eyes before clearing up her vision to see who woke her up. Still disoriented, she cried out. "Wha-what's going on?" Her hair was slightly unkempt.

A giggle was heard before the girl replied, "The bell rang, you fell asleep so I woke you up." Dawn nodded as she finally got a look at the girl before her. Her jaw hit the floor as she hurriedly scattered to grab her notebook and pen.

The girl was extremely beautiful. She was tall, around 5'7, and extremely slender, with milky white skin and long legs that should off her physique. Fiery red hair tied up into a side ponytail, showing off every angle of her face. High and defined cheekbones, framing her face delicately and defining the weaker features. Plump lips that were slightly parted, showing just a hint of beauty. Light freckles that dotted her face and arms, giving her a youthful vibe. Her eyes, oh her eyes of sea green, clear like the waters in "The Little Mermaid" that flickered with astounding hues of cerulean blue and indigo. They were like aquamarine gems that came straight out of the ocean and someone held them up in the sun to dry. They were….simply put, gorgeous.

The girl tilted her head, puzzled. "Huh? What's wrong?" Dawn realized her mistake and blushed profusely, stammering, "You're gorgeous! Y-You're just l-like a model!" The girl blushed in response and smiled slightly. "I'm no model, I'm a student like you. Anyway, let's get going! We have a 10 minute break after homeroom, so you can get to your next class, new girl." Her tone wasn't animostic, it was proud but kind.

"What's your name?" Dawn pondered out loud as she got up from her desk and started heading towards the door with the girl.

"My name? Misty. Misty Waterflower." Recognition flashed in Dawn's eyes as she heard the girl's last name.

"W-Waterflower?! As in, THE SENSATIONAL SISTERS?!" she wailed out, which resulted in others in the hallway staring weirdly at her, wondering why a girl would yell out like that.

Misty became flustered. "Shh, not so loud!" She shushed the bluenette. "Anyway, yes, my sisters. But I don't wanna talk about them."

Dawn covered her mouth and nodded rapidly before continuing to walk with this 'Misty' character. She noticed that her notebook and pen were in her hands, and remembered the vivid dream she had. The pure riverbed. She scribbled down lyrics.

 _Take me down to the river bend, take me down to the fighting end  
_ _Wash the poison from off my skin, show me how to be whole again_

Misty looked over at Dawn, curious. "What'cha writing?" She startled Dawn, who snapped out of her muse. "O-oh! I'm a songwriter, so I'm just writing the lyrics to a new song. Actually, they came from the dream I had before you woke me up…." Dawn stated.

To her utter surprise, Misty's eyes started glowing with enthusiasm. "Wow, that's cool! I'm a dancer on the dance team here, but the songs we do aren't very good."

Dawn used the opportunity to show some of her songs to Misty that she recorded. "Well I don't mind showing you mine! Do you wanna listen though? It's fine if you don't."

"Of course! That sounds great!"

Dawn grabbed her phone from her pocket, along with a pair of pink earbuds and plugged them in. She swiped through her phone and found the playlist that she made on SoundCloud, holding up one earbud. Misty gingerly grabbed it and put it into her ear. Dawn placed the other earbud into her own ear and pressed 'play'.

 **(Backwards-Christina Perri)**

After the song finished, Misty broke out in a large grin before saying, "That was amazing! You're really good at this!" Dawn replied, "Thanks!"

Misty got an idea in her head. "You know, you should join the music group! We have different levels and different types, so you'd probably be in "Composition"!"

Dawn tilted her head. "Music group!"

Misty broke out into an almost-ramble. "Yeah! See, our school is huge on the arts! In the music group, there are 5 different types of groups, all of different levels. There's Band, which is the lowest level, and includes all instruments, then Strings, which includes just stringed instruments like violin, then Jazz, which includes brass instruments, Piano, which is self-explanatory, and Composition!" she paused to take a breath, "Composition is the highest level, and you can only get in by auditioning. Most people don't make it in on their first try. Usually they audition a year earlier, but since you're new, they'll definitely make an exception," she paused again as she looked at Dawn's questioning expression. "Oh right, I should probably tell you what they do in the class. Well, the school bought a couple of grand pianos and multiple keyboards and upright pianos just for this. Basically, you have to try and write songs based on themes that the teacher gives you. A theme is given out every 2 months, and you have to write a song and compose sheet music within that amount of time." Misty stopped, due to Dawn's gaping face. "Dawn? What's wrong?"

Dawn regained her composure before screeching out, "TWO MONTHS?! THAT'S IT?! Music can't be composed just like that!"

"Dawn-"

"And to think, these people are supposed to help us learn the art of music! That's not gonna help us, you need to have inspiration and muse! Music comes to you naturally, you can't just FORCE it out! Ugh I'm gonna have a word with them! Music is an art, you can't just "force" art out of someone, that's not okay! Just, urgh!" She ranted on and on, until Misty spoke up.

"DAWN!" Dawn took a break from her heated rant to glare at the redhead for interrupting. "Sit down, one of my friends will be here soon. They're not going to change anything, so just try to enjoy it. If you join, they'll have to add SOMETHING."

Dawn breathed an irritated sigh, abashed by her behavior. "Yeah, I hope so. Music is just really important to me."

"If you don't mind me asking, why is music so important to you?"

Dawn went to another place in her mind as she closed her eyes, this time of the past.

 _Ink black. That was all she saw. Ink black._

 _A light appeared, and suddenly she was back in the monochrome house, where she had lived through everything. Her mother._

 _But the object that caught her eye the most was the jaded piano in the abnormally large living room. She just started to….play. Without making a single noise, she curled her fingers to play something, anything._

 _Her heart was desperate to play, play the unsung tunes she filled her head with._

"It just is," Dawn replied, uncharacteristically quiet. Misty didn't take note of her suddenly sullen voice as she waved to whom Dawn assumed was that 'friend'.

"Ash! Hey!" Misty waved her freckled arm to the person called Ash. Dawn shifted her gaze, and her eyes fell onto locks of ebony colored hair sticking out of a red and white baseball cap. This said 'Ash' had tanned skin with zigzag lines on his cheeks and a stockier build, giving him a more boyish look. He was slightly taller than Misty, but looked very young next to her.

When looking into his eyes, she didn't see chocolate brown. She saw mahogany or auburn eyes, almost like the piano at home, filled with joy and passion, never-ending excitement for the world. He was bubbly, that was what Dawn noted.

"Hey MistyYYYYYY!" As he greeted the redhead, he tripped over absolutely nothing and faceplanted with the concrete floor. The girls' faces morphed into ones of concern as they stood back up and rushed over to the fallen boy. Without a word, they scooped him up by the arms and supported him with their weight, one half of his weight on their shoulders. Misty sighed, irked by the behavior of her oldest friend around her newest friend.

"Ash Ketchum, you worry me. And if you worry me, I pity your mother," she informed him while Dawn giggled at the boy's misfortune.

"Hey Mist, I'm fine though! I'm made of rubber!" He sounded proud before noticing the other girl holding him up. "Who's this?" he questioned the redhead.

Dawn answered his question, "Hi! I'm Dawn Berlitz! I'm new here, so that's why you don't know me." She grinned as her cobalt blue hair softly flowed in the wind. Misty and the other girl helped Ash onto his feet before he burst out into a slight chuckle and grinned. "I'm Ash Ketchum! Nice to meet you!" Dawn flinched slightly at his loud voice, reminding her of how the woman's loud voice that bounced off the walls at her home, filling her with nothing but self-loathing.

* * *

 **(Flashback)**

" _Mom?" the little girl cried out._

" _Hello there! I'm Johanna Berlitz, and this is my daughter Dawn! Pleasure to meet you!" the woman ignored the little girl's pleas and loudly interrupted her, which the scary man in the black suit didn't note of. Ignored, ignored, ignored…._

* * *

Misty saw how Dawn recoiled slightly, and hit Ash on the back of his head. "Ow! What was that for Misty?" he asked as he gingerly rubbed the back of his head.

To prevent Dawn from running away and leaving a bad impression, Misty loudly whispered, "You were being too loud! Take note of your volume sometimes!"

"Okay okay, just don't hit me!" Ash put his hands in front of his face as a defense mechanism, but Misty only sighed, irked by her friend's antics once again.

Dawn broke out into a huge grin before she started laughing. She started laughing at how they behaved with each other, and how familiar she already seemed. It seemed as if….she never left this place, never moved away from the place she once knew as 'home'.

The town she lived in when she was six hadn't changed much at all. Buildings were renovated, yes, but it still gave off the same vibe as before, eleven years before. The house she used to live in was empty until they moved back in, never changing from its initial appearance. The house was void of all belongings until they managed to haul in all the necessary materials for living, then later their own stuff to make the house more like a home.

Yet, home was wherever he was.

He was the boy that let Dawn keep living, even when she wanted to stop. He appeared in her dreams and thoughts as a distant memory, but nevertheless waited for the day when they would meet again. He was the one who saved her from the woman, that woman who belittled her and made feel like she was worth nothing, by letting her play after kindergarten each day. He stopped the small bullies that threw sand from the playpen or tanbark under the monkey bars, allowing her to be free when she could. The little bullies eventually stopped after the boy hit the leader, whose name Dawn recalled as Barry. He made this life have a home. She was safe in his arms, that's where her home was.

Yet, how could she forget his name? She vaguely remembered his appearance. Lavender hair with cold, hard onyx eyes that were closed off. Yet, they opened up to her.

But his name was long forgotten.

"What's your next class, Dawn?" she was broken out of her stupor by Misty's voice, chaining her back to reality.

Dawn pulled out her folded up schedule from her jacket pocket and assessed her classes. "Um, it looks like I have Psychology next…"

"Really?" Ash and Misty asked at the same time. "Misty and I have it too! Who's your teacher?" he eagerly asked the bluenette.

"It looks like I have Ms. Matsuki-" Dawn was interrupted by cheers from the other two. "We have her too! Why don't we walk to her class together? It looks like the bell's going to ring in a couple minutes anyway," suggested Misty. Dawn rapidly nodded her head in response.

Purple stuck out in the wind and Dawn turned her head to meet endless black, once again. But as quickly as the boy from homeroom , Paul was his name, came, he vanished as fast. "Was that Paul?" she asked her two friends.

"Hmm? The boy with purple hair? That's him. Why are you asking?" Misty questioned, suspicious of the girl's intentions.

"Can you tell me about him?" Ash and Misty looked at each other grimly, before Misty complied.

"I guess. He's kind of a loner, a huge loner. No one really knows what happened to him, but I remember that he used to be more….talkative. When he was six, no one approached him, except for this one girl. But then she moved away, and no one wanted to be his friend. Well, Ash tried, but he wouldn't accept him as a friend. I remember Ash cried for a bit." Misty snickered a bit.

"HEY!" Ash yelled.

"Anyway," Misty continued, "He kind of closed himself off from everyone, ever since he was 13…."

"Huh? Why thirteen?" Dawn interrupted Misty. The other two looked at each other grimly again, before answering.

"Everyone says his brother committed suicide." Dawn looked horrified, shocked about that.

"His brother seemed to be his chain, his way of staying happy in reality. But he just up and disappeared, leaving Paul alone. Paul hates people, hates being around the positivity. He tries his best to ignore others, especially when they approach him. If that girl was here, then I think he'd be a bit better, but since she's not, he doesn't really have anyone…..I would approach him, believe me, but he doesn't WANT it. I've barely learned a lot about him. He's one of the smartest kids in the grade, but also one of the most quiet. I would think he's just….angry. Nobody, not even the teachers, tries to talk to him. It's ironic though. He could have plenty of friends."

"How so?"

"Well, his parents are _the_ Rebolledos. They're incredibly rich and powerful, probably more powerful than the whole city hall if they wanted that power. No one knows how they got their money, but one thing's for sure, they've got plenty of it and aren't afraid to use it. But I'm guessing…..he doesn't like their authority. Maybe he thinks people will only look at him with his name, not his personality. He might think you're just using him for an easy life and plenty of materials, even though that's not the case-"

 _BRINGGGG!_

"Oh, that's the bell. We should get going," Ash thought. The girls nodded and they started walking to what Dawn assumed was their Psychology class.

Her thoughts were lost in purple hair and black eyes. She imagined his hair in the wind, as he turned around and stared her straight in the eyes, while the scenery changed, from the sky to the sea to the land below. There was something, something familiar about those eyes.

She scribbled down more lyrics to her new song.

 _Fly me up on a silver wing  
_ _Past the black where the sirens sing_

As her friends droned on about every topic imaginable, Dawn felt the world stop as she noticed a hint of purple locks sticking out from the chattering students. Time stopped as he turned to look around, only to find her gaze on him.

Crystals shattered in her heart as she saw what was inside of him, a timeless existence of pure agony sensed by the passionate girl.

She wanted to find out who Paul Rebolledo was, who he _really_ was. She would find out, she was sure.

 _I will find out who you are. And I will save you, Paul Rebolledo._ She thought to herself, as she smiled before taking her first steps into the classroom.

* * *

 **Note: Thank you to all of those who are reading this so far. I really am excited for the plot and how it will progress. I have a general idea of what will happen, but not a complete picture. I make up things as I go, pretty often. Ms. Matsuko, for any who are wondering, is Caitlin from the Unova Elite Four, just because I feel she would make the best teacher for Psychology. I really am proud of this chapter, especially since it was so soon after I posted the Prologue! This will probably be the last chapter before I head out for school, which will leave me with VERY little time to write for this. Not to worry, I am willing to write this.  
I wanted to see how Dawn would interact with Misty and Ash, plus I thought those two would complete the story a bit more. They seem like perfect friends for Dawn, not popular but not outsiders. Slowly, my friends, slowly. They'll take baby steps.  
** **Please R &R, it would really make me happy!  
** **Until next time, enjoy!**

 **~ShesPeaches**


	3. Don't Forget to Put on a Facade

**Ugh, it's been two months! I didn't lost motivation for this story; I still quite enjoy writing this. I've just been very busy with school and such...*sigh*. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Wood chips and paper. That was what the room smelled of when Dawn took a step in. Wood chips from the shelves lining the classroom and the desks placed in a neat, orderly fashion. Paper from the books crammed into each and every bookshelf and flying around on the ground. It was certainly disorganized, that what was Dawn noted. But she knew that some people were organized by being disorganized, and Ms. Matsuki was probably one of them. That, or the students just made a mess and Ms. Matsuki couldn't clean it up.

"Dawn," Misty called out, breaking Dawn out of her thoughts.

"Yes?" she replied.

"The teacher lets us sit wherever we want. We usually sit in the back, near Paul. Do you wanna sit with us?" Dawn took notice of Paul's name.

Trying to hide her interest with Paul, she said, "Sure, why not?"

Ash and Misty led Dawn to where there desks were, which, as Misty stated, were near Paul. Dawn, in fact, took the seat right next to him, hoping he would notice her and attempt to make conversation. After all, it was rude to not talk to the new girl!

But to her utter disappointment and annoyance, Paul deliberately ignored the bubbly girl and took out a massive purple textbook that said 'PSYCHOLOGY' at the top. Dawn gaped at the size of the textbook, becoming unnerved at the thought of carrying that all the way home. She didn't have her own car or bike and her mother worked, leaving her to walk to school every day, all alone. While the distance was not long, she still did not like the thought of walking home with all those textbooks in hand or on her back, having to drag her body until she collapsed. A slight bit of sweat appeared on her forehead as she thought about unpleasant lifting.

"Hello? Are you okay?" She was snapped out of her stupor by a quieter voice, not Ash's or Misty's. Dawn's vision focused, and a girl with vibrant brown hair and luscious, emerald green eyes came into view. She wore a cream colored hat with a matching sweater, maroon jeans, and light brown boots. While she wasn't beautiful in the way that Misty was, she was beautiful in a more reserved way. While Misty appeared more confident, this girl appeared shy and reserved, as if she didn't know about her own beauty, like the girl who didn't know that guys lusted for her as her best friend walked with her.

"Oh yeah! I'm fine. My name is Dawn, what's your name?"

The girl let out a light, airy chuckle. "We're in the same homeroom. My name is Leaf, Leaf Green. Pleasure to meet you." She held out her hand to shake, which Dawn graciously accepted. But something plagued her mind. This Leaf character seemed perfect-too perfect. As if everything she said was rehearsed, just a set-up to sway unsuspecting fools away from her trap. Dawn saw that perfect smile, flawless skin, smooth hair, and even flawless handshake.

But the eyes are the window to the soul, that's what someone once said.

In those green eyes of Leaf Green, Dawn saw dilated pupils with a story behind them. But that's all she saw. There was a wall, blocking anyone from seeing her true soul, her true feelings. Almost like Paul. But unlike Paul, Leaf's guard slipped not even once, effectively preventing Dawn from finding out who she was, who she _really_ was.

 _What is it with people and their secrets?_ Dawn irritably asked herself. Leaf let go of her hand and promptly whipped her head back, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

 _That was close. Almost let my guard down._ Leaf thought to herself. Dawn's smiling face left an image in her mind. _I need to watch out for her. She seems smart. I can't let her find out who I am. I'm gonna have to keep my eyes peeled._

Ms. Matsuki greeted the class with a quiet voice, and went on from yesterday's lesson. Leaf vigorously took notes, the sound of graphite rustling on a thin sheet of paper filling her ears as other students threw balls of paper and chattered on mindlessly with their friends.

She felt a little pelt at the back of her head, and immediately slammed her pencil on the desk to find the culprit. But all she saw was Gary, not smirking like usual, but eyes alarmed and gesturing his head towards the crumpled up piece of paper on the ground. She gave him a questioning look, but picked it up nonetheless.

 _Meet me at my place after school. There's something up with that Dawn chick._

 _-Shigeru_

Leaf nodded as if she was reading the paper, but in actuality, it was a signal to Gary that she understood-that she would comply. After all, she was also suspicious of the bluenette and wanted to observe her.

The bluenette, now officially known as Dawn Berlitz, seemed to be a normal kid in high school with normal problems that any teenager would have. But there was something…..dark about her. In the two classes they had with her, both the player and the valedictorian noticed how easily she picked up on minute details, how her eyes flickered as she tried to figure out the true essence of those around her. She was intelligent, she was observant to all the tiny things around her that only a trained expert could notice otherwise. She was a listener, easily able to put the pieces of the puzzle together when she had enough pieces. After that, she could infer and create her own pieces, and they always fit perfectly.

It was this fact that made Leaf Green and Gary Oak afraid, for once in their lives.

They were both thinking the same thing. ' _If she were to become our enemy in due time, she could easily find out who we truly are and use it against us, jeopardizing our safety and our future. It would cause the whole foundation to collapse into a heap of rubble and cause us to lose this dreaded game of survival.'_

In the end, it would always be a game of survival. Nothing more. Just a game.

Meanwhile, Paul was feeling the intense stare the new girl was giving him. Out of his exceptional peripheral vision, he could see blurry bits of her paper-white skin.

A curious gaze, which Paul could only read as intrigued, with her midnight blue eyes as her cheeks were dusted with a light pink hue, probably blushing.

"Can you stop staring at me?" he told the girl without even bothering to turn his head to face her. The girl immediately got embarrassed, muttered an apology and turned 90 degrees to start talking to a redhead girl and a raven-haired boy.

His view was focused on the piece of paper that Leaf received. He figured it was from Gary, and that it was actually something important. Otherwise, she wouldn't have bothered to pick it up, and would've continued taking notes like the perfect student she wasn't.

Leaf crumpled up the note again, and "accidentally" tossed it carelessly over her shoulder, landing by Paul's feet. The good thing about Paul's seats in his classes was that he could inconspicuously pick up pieces of paper and pretend he didn't care, since everyone assumed he would just throw it in the trash bin-it was usually next to him in their classes. He could read notes without drawing attention to himself, and then throw them away in the trash can, now lost evidence of what the trio did as twilight arose every 24 hours.

He picked up the note lightly, and quietly uncrumpled it, reading the same message. He nodded the same way Leaf did, knowing that she or Gary would notice and take it as a sign of understanding what they needed to start doing. After the signal, he threw it away in the garbage can and went back to focusing on the lesson at hand. After all, he had to maintain the identity of a Rebolledo!

He internally grumbled as raging thoughts pestered him, especially about the girl. _Who is she? How did I meet her? Why can I not remember anything about her, other than her appearance?_ Of course, he had a right to think this. As she interacted with him more, memories came flooding back, almost as if they were jogged up. But it wasn't only him. It appeared as if everyone in school that used to know her was duped by her new girl appearance, unable to recognize who she once was.

But he knew there was one person that would remember her no matter what had ever happened. No, it wasn't him. It was someone else, with brown hair and matching eyes.

One thing was for sure, he would have to find out more about the girl that he knew as Troublesome. Girls like her, ones who deceived those around her with her charming good looks and cheery smile, only brought trouble.

And trouble was not taken kindly in the mind of Paul Rebolledo.

* * *

After passing through two more classes, it was finally lunch! Dawn opened her bag and brought out the PB&J sandwich that she sloppily made before rushing off to school that morning. As she walked to the spot where Ash told her they ate, she took a bite out of it, chewing slowly and savoring the richness that flowed through every taste bud. She sat down once she reached her destination and closed her eyes, imagining a beach, with rocky cliffs that shone in the sun while the cerulean waves reflected beams of golden colored light onto the white sand.

"Hey!"

She hastily opened her eyes to find several pairs of varying shades staring back at her. Copper, dark brown, and gray to be exact. She looked up at them.

"Yes?"

The one with copper eyes and styled blonde hair answered. "Are you Dawn Berlitz, that new girl?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well then….you're a pretty sight for sore eyes." The boy looked at her, unabashed as he traced his eyes over her glossy hair, heart-shaped face, and slender figure with long legs. Dawn tried to cover up and turned away, but the boy simply switched positions to face her.

"Who the hell are you?" She asked maliciously, as she found liquid pools of copper, glinting with mischief. It seemed familiar….and Dawn thought it couldn't be true.

"Well if you must know, I'm-"

"Barry Pearl?!" The boy stared at her, jaw wide open.

"How did you know?! I must be pretty popular around here then."

"Dream on. Don't you remember me?"

"No, I can't say I do."

"Really? Look it into my eyes and then tell me."

He looked straight into her eyes and tried to grasp it. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Not really, no. Am I supposed to?"

She rolled her eyes. How could this kid be this forgetful?

Before Dawn could speak, the kid named Barry Pearl looked at his two friends. "Let's go." He started to walk away, while a pair of dark brown eyes stared at her intently and grey eyes stared at her maliciously. Dawn instantly got that nagging feeling in her chest, that feeling that this wouldn't be the last time she would interact with these people. She guessed that it wouldn't be pretty.

"Hey Dawn!" Dawn whipped her head around to find Ash and Misty with trays of food in their hands. They walked over and sat down next to her.

"Were you talking to Barry Pearl just then?" Ash spoke incredibly fast, almost incoherent to even the sharpest of ears. His eyes were wide, like a deer in headlights, afraid.

"Sort of. He walked over to me and just started talking to me and flirting with me. It was uncomfortable…." Dawn decided to hold off on her outburst about him being unable to recall who she was.

Ash and Misty looked at each other, almost angry. Dawn gave them a puzzled look.

Misty cleared her throat. "Well….you're not going to have a fun time….Every time Barry flirts with someone and they turn him down, he and his little goons go out of their way to make that person miserable. It happened to Melody Fleura before, and she still avoids any class with him. It also happened to me, but I managed to….convince him to leave Ash and I alone."

Dawn noticed how Misty said 'Ash and I' rather than just herself. "Wait, if he did that to you, how was Ash involved?"

Misty bit her lip before continuing, "Well you see, I sort of smacked Barry with my mallet after he pulled a nasty prank on me, so he decided to get me indirectly…..through Ash. He pulled pranks on him, attacked him, and even slandered his name for some time with some rumors. He's just a bully. Now he's after you, but don't worry, we're here!"

Dawn smiled weakly at the pair before nibbling at the crust around her sandwich, listening to the conversation her friends were having. Her thoughts were filled with the lavender-haired boy from when she was younger. His eyes….they looked like someone else's….

"So Dawn, what's your next class?" Ash asked her.

"O-Oh! I have Math next, Statistics," she responded slightly startled.

"Cool! I have English next, but I think Leaf is in your class!" Ash grinned wildly. Misty's face turned from slightly abashed to incredibly sour, her mouth twisting into a frown.

"Hey Misty, what's the matter?" Dawn asked her.

Misty struggled to keep a steady breath. "Well, if you MUST know, little Leaf Green is just a fake. She stopped being friends with me a some time after she became friends with May and Marina…Before Ash moved here, Leaf was my friend. But then when she was 13, she started keeping secrets from me and only spent her time talking to May and Marina. It's like I was just her stepping stone. I always forget that she and Ash grew up together." Dawn looked over back at Ash, who was blushing madly, ashamed of forgetting how much Misty resented Leaf.

"Well, I probably won't talk to her...she seems sketchy." Dawn reassured her, to which Misty responded with a sigh of relief.

The bell rang.

"Gotta go! I've got swimming next. See you later." Misty waved before running off to the girl's locker room.

"I gotta go too. I have English. Maybe we can walk home together? Meet us at the front gate after school!" Ash yelled before walking away. Dawn waved before turning around and walking towards Pre-Calculus.

" _Dawn, what is this grade?" The young girl turned around from her tattered chair. Her mother was holding a paper. Her math test._

" _It's an A-..." she replied._

" _That's right. I thought you told me you were going to get an A on it. You studied all night for it, didn't you?" Dawn hesitated before answering. "Yes."_

 _Her mother narrowed her eyes at the girl. "You're lying. Dawn, what the hell are you doing?! Why are you acting this way?!" Her mother started to freak out, but the girl stayed calm._

 _Bipolar Disorder. Her mother could go from calm and happy to anger and frustration. Her mood swings terrified Dawn when she was younger, but she learned to accept it as the normality. So she continued to let her mother rant._

" _I work two jobs just to feed you, and you can't even get an A. I'm very disappointed in you." Her mother's ragged breathing soothed down, while her red face was slowly returning back to its normal color._

 _Dawn remained stone-faced, but inside, she was cracking._

 _'I need you, perfection.'_

Don't forget to smile, Dawn.

* * *

The trees matched her name. Leaf Green.

The desk next to her was empty. Always.

No one wanted the Ace of the School to show them up while being her partner. Marina and May were in a different class. Paul just didn't work with her.

So, she sat alone. She sat alone and stared out the window. Those leaf green eyes of hers absorbing the colors of the world outside.

Colors she now lacked.

Someone slid into the seat next to her. _Who would sit next to me?_ She turned around. She was almost livid.

That girl with the midnight hair, the pale porcelain skin, and the intelligence to become a leader sat down. Leaf frantically looked around.

No more empty seats.

 _Dammit, why couldn't there have been another seat?! Dawn, out of all people? Her?!_

She saw how well the new girl got along with Ash and Misty. Misty….her old friend.

Why did she leave her again?

Misty…..Misty Waterflower. Would've been "Kasumi" had she gone to Leaf's house that day.

She was busy.

Now she was safe. Safe and free from this torture.

She was too smart. She couldn't let Misty find out who she really was.

 _I cut off ties with her. Why should it matter what she does? I have no righ-_

"Do you need something?" A bored voice cut her off. Berlitz.

"O-Oh no. Sorry. Just thinking."

"Okay." Dawn grabbed her stuff from her backpack without saying a word. Her face wasn't expressive like before-it was completely blank.

Did Leaf do something wrong?

Blushing profusely, Leaf grabbed the textbook and dropped it onto the desk.

The noise caused Dawn to scowl. "Do you mind?" She spoke in a rude tone. Leaf didn't like that tone.

"I'm sorry, it was an accident," Leaf rambled. "But may I ask, what is your problem? We've only talked today, it's your first day. Do you mind telling me why your attitude is-"

"I know what you did to Misty."

"What? What did she tell you?" Leaf whispered rapidly, on the verge of panic.

"She told me how you suddenly stopped talking to her one day. You started hanging out with those other girls, apparently called May and Marina. What kind of friend are you?" Dawn's voice was hushed, but so very clear to Leaf.

"You don't know why…"

"Does it matter? You ditched a great girl. She misses you, you know?"

"Ha! She has Ash, why does sh-"

"Ash isn't you."

"Y-You don't know the reason why I did it!"

"Does it matter? You still left her. She was heartbroken."

Leaf became furious. "It's not my fault! Misty would've-!" She hesitated, almost revealing her secret.

"She would've what? Would've died?"

 _Yes, actually._ Leaf thought bitterly in her head. "Look, how Misty and I broke it off isn't your business. I don't want what we used to have affect how you and I perform as partners in this class. Can we just stop talking about it?"

Dawn's eyes softened. "Maybe. I guess I don't want a bad grade in this class. But you need to apologize to her. She deserves that much at least."

Leaf didn't say a word back. She wanted Misty as her best friend again. May and Marina were amazing, they were! But Misty was the first. She was the best friend.

Leaf Green let go of another one.

But she knew that, in order to protect her, she couldn't get close to her. Not yet.

"Okay." A fake smile graced her pale pink lips.

Another lie written in her book. Then again, Leaf lost count.

* * *

 **This chapter is a lot shorter than my last one. I was going to write more, but I felt that this was a good place to end it.  
Also, I'm writing an Attack on Titan fanfiction! The focus will be Bertholdt and Annie, called "Snow Globe"! So please check it out soon!  
Until next time, enjoy!**


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